Sparks to the Flame
by CrumpledWings
Summary: Zutara Week is upon us, and I plan to write for each day:D They make one continuous story, so stay tuned! Enjoy:) (progress: three chapters are up). Please don't hate my slow-ness; I'm trying!
1. Calor

a/n: Hi! This is just a piece I wrote for Zutara Week; I plan on doing every day. The prompt was "Calor" (the Spanish word for "heat"). I hope I did well, and I imagine the theme is very obvious. Enjoy!

Katara _hated_ him.

She hated the fact that he chased them, unrelenting, for so long, and hated even more that when he decided to "change his ways", he was welcomed into the group so easily. She hated the nation he came from, because all they did was take, take, take, destroy everything in their path, and apologize for none of it. And she hated even more that he now turned his back on that very same nation, the one he was in line to rule, suddenly so self-righteous. _Insult after injury, again and again._ And then there was the firebending. Oh, how she hated the firebending. The polar opposite of soothing water, fire consumed, selfish, insatiable. It burned forests, towns, _lives_ to the ground and left survivors permanently scarred. How could anyone proudly wield such destructive force? Aang had always been enamored by it's raw power, ever since he got a taste with Jeong Jeong, but Katara absolutely _despised_ firebending.

And even worse, she hated how good Zuko looked while doing it.

She hadn't much paid attention to it, back when he was still using his fire as a weapon against their group. Admiration was so close to fear, in that they both required respect and acknowledgement of power; she easily mistook the feeling in her gut for pure terror, and no more, when their lives were on the line. But now that he was Aang's teacher, Katara was able to experience his bending without the fear of danger getting in the way.

And what a sight that was.

She couldn't help but notice the way his muscles tensed under his skin with every well-practiced move. Or how the firelight reflected off his pale skin, making him almost glow. And she certainly couldn't ignore the intensity in his eyes, eyes that smoldered nearly as hot as the flames. It was as if he was made, purely, of fire, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. Would his skin be just as hot? she wondered. Would his touch leave scorch marks?

She shook her head, as if to shake the thoughts out. Who cared about Zuko's skin? She didn't plan on touching him anytime soon, for starters. Secondly, he was just a guy. Not a creature made of flames, but a bender, just like her. Her interest in his bending stemmed from curiosity, she rationalized. Wasn't it only normal to want to understand such a fierce element? The raw power bursting from Zuko's hands was palpable in the air around her. It always seemed hot these days, but when Zuko and Aang sparred, the atmosphere felt _charged_, like every inch of the air was thick with energy. It filled Katara's lungs, made her skin sticky with sweat and her clothes cling to her in blush-worthy ways.

_It's only natural curiosity_, she assured herself again. _Nothing more._ Ands she still hated him. Yep, definitely hate. What other word could she use to describe the heat that ran through her body when they spoke?

Zuko didn't know when the lines began to blur, only that he was hopelessly lost now.

When he and Aang finished sparring, he came up to the one of the shadier parts of Western Air Temple. This part had become sort of a common area for the group. Once there, he found Sokka napping and Toph leaning against a stone pillar. Her eyes were closed but the swing of the foot she had propped up on her knee eliminated the thought that she was asleep as well.

"Hey, Sparky. Where's Twinkletoes?"

"He said he had to meditate."

"_Pfft_." The earthbender shifted her position so that she was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. "He can have fun with that, out in the sun. I'm gonna stay here and relax."

Zuko nodded. Though he had just spent a good three hours training with Aang, he still felt amped full of energy. He stood there a moment, unsure what to do, when he heard it. Faint but aggressive splashing sounds were coming from the opposite direction he had just come from. Was that Katara? He decided to go over and see what she was doing, ignoring the part of him that pointedly asked _Why?_

The young waterbender was practicing her bending with water from a nearby fountain. He cringed, almost feeling sorry for the stone pillar she was unleashing her bending upon. What had her so worked up?

"Hey," he called, still standing a safe distance away. She stopped bending a moment, but that was the only indication to show she heard him. He continued awkwardly, taking a step closer. "What'd that pillar ever do to you?"

"I'm just practicing," she said, crouching back into her favorite bending stance. "Don't want to get rusty in my down time." The water rose once more, but this time slowly. It weaved throughout the air in one continuous stream, like a ribbon dancing in the wind.

_Don't do it, Zuko…_ "Need a sparring partner?"

She let the water fall unceremoniously back into the fountain and turned to look at him, blue eyes wide. "What?" _Did she have to look_ so_ incredulous?_ "I-I mean-" She jumped to cover herself. "Didn't you just finish with Aang? Aren't you tired?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "I've still got energy to burn. And it looks like you do too. I just thought… well, you're a pretty good fighter. Good enough to challenge me, even in the middle of the day like this. And we always seemed evenly matched before." _Yeah, great idea, Zuko. Bring up all those times you fought with her back when you were the "bad guy"._

The truth was, he wasn't really sure _why_ he was offering to be her sparring partner. He liked Katara as much as any one else in the group, but he knew the feeling was not mutual. She still didn't trust him because of what he did back in Ba Sing Se. And really, he didn't blame her. He knew he couldn't force her trust, so why was he here pestering her and trying to practice together?

Oh, he knew why, but no way was he putting it into words. He wasn't even sure he could.

Katara's voice brought him back from his reverie. "Alright," she sighed. "I suppose I could use a real partner again. Ever since Aang began training with fire, he hasn't had much time to practice with me. My worst opponent in weeks has been a particularly unpleasant boulder." She laughed. "Want to do it now?"

"It's as good a time as ever." He dropped into a crouched position, not as low as Katara's. She always seemed to bend, weave, and flow, as agile as her element. He preferred a much sturdier stance. Suddenly feeling confident, he flashed a cocky grin. "Sure you're ready for this?" A cold slap of water was his response.

And so it began. At first, they stayed relatively far away from each other, but with each move they inched closer. Zuko was careful not to actually hit Katara, seeing as a little touch of fire did a lot more harm than that of water, but she didn't really need the help. Just like when they fought for real, she was able to expertly avoid each of his blasts, and counter with her own. He could feel himself growing more aggressive- finally, a _real_ fight. Aang had been using strictly fire to practice, so Zuko had found himself sorely missing any real challenge in the past few weeks. But it wasn't that way with Katara- she was a waterbending master, and kept him on his toes. One false move and he'd probably end up surrounded by ice crystals restraining his body.

Before he knew it, they were face to face, mere inches apart as they fought. Yes, this was the answer he didn't want to admit, even to himself. Katara drove him crazy half the time, creating a kind of heated anger that seemed reserved solely for her. But somewhere along the line, not even he was sure when, a very different kind of heat found it's way into his body when she was near. Being a firebender, he was in no way uncomfortable with a little warmth, but _this_- this was different. This kind of fire nestled itself into his stomach and rioted there, making him feel restless and hyper-aware whenever she was around. It pervaded his brain and melted his thoughts until they were one gooey, jumbled mess; it was a wonder his words didn't stick in his throat on the way out whenever he tried to speak to her. This fire left waves of heat rolling through his body whenever they were near- was this normal? He had never felt this way before, like he was standing in the middle of a heat wave, the air so thick he felt it in his lungs. And all because of the little water tribe girl with eyes the color of the ocean.

Fire made contact with water, and an angry hiss filled the air as steam rose.

He stepped back, trying to return to his familiar stance, comfortably sturdy, but where solid land should have been, a thin layer of water rested. The back of his heel caught on it, and he was going down.

Katara's eyes were widening; she probably knew she had won this particular match. _Not today, waterbender. _If he was going down, so was she. He grasped the strap of her shirt and pulled; they tumbled to the ground, rolling so that Zuko was on top.

Zuko let out a labored breath. Katara was staring at him with wide eyes, pinned on the ground beneath him. _This probably isn't how she's used to fighting_, he thought, laughing internally. He wasn't used to it either. Did sparring always include so much physical contact, and he was only just now noticing it?

He forcibly kept his eyes from wandering down, but he knew what Katara was wearing, or more to the point, _not_ wearing. She had forgone her usual clothes lately and, in an attempt to beat the heat, donned more traditional fire nation clothing; today it was a midriff top and skirt slit all the way up the side. He was hyper-aware of how close they were; the thin layer of his shirt was the only thing separating him from her bare skin. And Agni knows he tried, really _tried_, not to notice her bare legs, bent on either side of him so that they brushed against his hips.

Oh, there was that heat again, shivering through his body and making his breath come harder. He couldn't deny any longer what it meant, what it was. Despite how hot the day was, he found himself wanting to be as close to Katara as possible. What was happening to him?!

Katara's cerulean eyes full of emotion, but one he couldn't read. What was she thinking? Could she tell how his mind was racing, his chest pounding, his skin aching? And all because they had finally touched. The slow simmer that had been building within him for weeks was finally coming to a boil; he could feel himself spilling over. Oh, how she made him burn. Him, the firebender, smoldering at the hands of a waterbender. _The irony_.

Yes, there had originally been a difference between the angered heat and the _other _one, but the lines were becoming blurred, and Zuko was becoming blurred along with them.

a/n: Whew! That's done. I definitely procrastinated with this one, which I hope isn't too obvious in the writing. It's been a long time since I've written Zutara, so I kind of had to get back in the groove. Sorry if this part was slow; it's just the intro. I'm actually really glad Zutara week came along, because I haven't written in _ages_. This finally forced me to get out of my funk. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I know it's not very good, but I hope it's not too bad. See you next time!

(P.S.- Yes I am still writing Searching for You, my other Zutara fanfic. I know it's been forever. Please don't kill me!)


	2. Euphoria

a/n: I'm back! Today's theme was "Euphoria". Hope I did it justice!:)

Katara's laughter echoed throughout the temple. Her head was thrown back, eyes squeezed shut and mouth agape as she responded to Sokka's joke, which was for once actually funny. Moonlight streamed into the wall-less courtyard, dancing in her hair and making her skin glow. When she finally sobered, her eyes were still bright with joy. In the darkness, they appeared a pale, silvery color, so similar to the moon floating behind her. It was times like these that it was very obvious she was connected to the moon and the water. Was she not a creature of the night, made of moonlight reflecting off the ocean's waves? She looked less like a human, and more like a spirit, gracing the group with her presence that night. There were no words to describe her, but Zuko knew one that came close. _Beautiful._

He forced himself to look away. He was there to train to the Avatar, and regain his honor. He was there to _work_. To make progress. And while there may not have been anything wrong with a taking a little down time at night to eat with the rest of the "Gaang"- (was that _really_ their chosen nickname?)- one thing he absolutely should _not_ have been doing was making googly eyes at Katara. What was he thinking? They had just barely begun to get along- he knew full and well he did not have her full trust yet. And he'd just broken up with Mai! _What am I doing thinking about Katara like that?_ _I mean, sure, she's pretty…_

But he knew she was so much more than pretty. He'd seen pretty girls before. There was Ty Lee, Jin, and obviously Mai. Katara- she had something more. She was fierce, and not afraid to stand up for herself. She could hold her own in any situation, and proved time and time again how strong she was. And still, in spite of her harsh past and the conditions in which she now lived (a refugee in the middle of a vicious war), she was still kind-hearted, smart, and compassionate. And all of those things equaled so much more than "pretty". So as much as Zuko wanted to blame it all on hormones, he could tell a lot more was happening in his head, and in his heart. Ever since what had happened earlier that day- that sparring session- he could feel his hidden feelings coming to fruition. What had once been fleeting passions were morphing into words. Words he was afraid to think.

He shouldn't have entertained such thoughts. He shouldn't have let his eyes linger over Katara, or let his stomach stir with excitement when he heard her voice. _This is _wrong, he tried to tell himself. _Look at the way she looks at Aang!_ The young airbender was sitting right next to her. They kept talking throughout the night, smiling, joking. She seemed so happy with Aang- her smiling face was the opposite of the scowling one she normally wore with Zuko. He knew what he felt was foolish, and worse, that Katara did not reciprocate. The wisest thing to do would have been to drop it, ignore the feeling until it suffocated and disappeared forever.

But tonight, he couldn't care less.

There must have been something about the combination of the fire, the moonlight, and Katara's laughter. There must have been something in the air. Because Zuko found himself bursting with incontrollable joy. His gaze would not, could not, remain off of Katara for too long.

What was it about her that made him feel like this- invigorated, exultant? Damn her, he couldn't keep the smile off his face. Everything- the crackle of the fire, the twinkling of the stars, the movement of Katara's hair in the breeze- seemed beautiful. For once, he could take his mind off the war, his father, and regaining honor. He was finally (and a little overzealously) happy.

Katara smiled, nodding along as Aang recounted some tale about the Southern Air Temple and a mishap with an air bison. She wished she could pay attention, really, she did, because she was sure it was an entertaining story. But she was a little busy being hyper-aware of Zuko to pay attention to anything else.

What had happened earlier today, when they'd fought? Physical contact was…to be expected, she supposed. She and Aang had never been that close, but he was an airbender, and was constantly darting away; air seemed to be a rather evasive element. She hadn't exactly been anticipating that level of contact when she agreed to spar with Zuko, but it wasn't anything she was really all that surprised over. It was what happened _later_ that had left her surprised…

She could still feel her heart pound at the memory of being pinned under Zuko. His strong arms, barring her escape on either side, while she lay defenseless (and hardly clothed) underneath him… It shouldn't have had that much of an effect on her. Or at least, not a positive one. But she'd found herself breathless, and squirming in a very _good_ way.

And now? Now she could feel his gaze boring into her even when, she was sure, he wasn't even looking. It was nerve-wracking, yet at the same time…oddly comforting. How did those two things combine? She supposed that meant she had begun to trust him again, which left her feeling even more confused than before. She'd be up all night, she already knew, trying to figure this out, but for now, she just had to keep grinning at Aang and trying her damnedest not to remember the way Zuko's body had felt pressed against hers.

a/n: Well, there you have it. Part 2. This was a relatively dull chapter, but didn't have much to write for "euphoria". I think I was a little less obvious with the theme this time (read: probably unclear). I still don't think I'm back in the habit of writing well yet, but bear with me! This is much shorter, but I should have a decently long segment for part 3 up later. In the meantime, please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please remain polite. See you next time!


	3. Voices

a/n: Hello again:) I know I'm super late on this one, but please don't hate me! I get yanked out of the house (away from my lovely computer) way too often. Anyhoo, "today's" theme was "Voices". I think you'll see how it ties in if you read:D

"So then, there was a cave in! Nobody got hurt, but our group ended up separated. Katara, Appa and I made one group, and Sokka and Momo were with Lily, Moku, and Chong."

Sokka crossed his arms. "Yeah, that was just _great_. You know they sang about literally everything that happened?"

"That must have been awful." Zuko's voice was colored sympathetically, but Katara could tell he was suppressing a smirk. Sokka, oblivious to Zuko's mirth, nodded emphatically. The Gaang was sitting around the campfire for dinner once again; it had been a couple days since the, er, sparring session, and Katara had managed to avoid Zuko since. _I just hope it's not obvious._ Cheeks burning, she forced herself to tune back into the group conversation. In the hopes of avoiding the less-than-cheery topic of defeating the Fire Lord, they had turned to story telling to pass the time. Sokka had been having a _wonderful_ time telling embarrassing childhood stories about Katara before Aang swooped in to save the day.

He'd made the point that, since Zuko had only just joined the group, he didn't know some of their funnier experiences. And thus the story-telling had begun. It turned out that, in all of their travels, there was only one group that had annoyed Sokka more than the people of Aunt Wu's "village of ignorance"; the singing nomads. Aang recounted the tale for Zuko and Toph's sake.

"…_and die_!"

Toph snorted. "Sounds like a good song to me!"

"You weren't in the cave." Sokka pursed his lips sourly, probably still remembering the attack of the wolfbat.

Katara laughed at her brother. "It was _cursed_, Sokka. What'd you expect, fluffy little fire ferrets and a map leading us out?"

"If it was cursed," Zuko said, "then how'd you all make it out?"

"With the power of love," Aang grinned, before Katara could stop him. Her face burned with renewed fire.

"Well, we just used badgermoles." Sokka's face suddenly grew confused. "How exactly did _love_ lead you out? You never told me."

Katara felt the questioning gaze of her friends. Even Aang was looking at her, as if unsure whether or not he should divulge _that_ particular secret. _Good going, Aang_, she thought. _How am I supposed to answer that one?_ Praying the night masked her rapidly reddening cheeks, she cleared her throat.

"Well, there were these crystals in the roof of the cave. And when the lights went out, they began to glow. That must be how the lovers found each other; they let their torches extinguish, and followed the path of crystals." She grinned, perhaps a little too brightly.

"But what does that have to do with_ love_?" Sokka drew out the last word, raising an eyebrow.

Katara's heart stuttered in her chest. _Really?_ She had to admit this _now_, in front of her brother, Toph, and Zuko? God… it was a wonder they even needed the fire anymore; the heat on her cheeks should have been enough to warm the entire temple. She cleared her throat. "Well…"

"So does the song really specify love? _Blech_. Bring back the curse, thank you," Toph said loudly. Katara's eyes landed on the earthbender. She was grinning wildly. "So what were the words to the song, anyway?"

"Oh no, we're not bringing that back!" Sokka said. "It'll be stuck in my head for _weeks_!"

"Come on, Sokka. It'll be fun." Aang straightened and began.

"_Two lovers, forbidden from one another_,

_A war divides their people, and a mountain divides them apart,_

_ Built a path to be together,_"

(he hummed over the part Chong hadn't taught them)

"_Secret tunnel!_

_ Secret tunnel!_

_ Through the mountain!_

_ Secret, secret, secret, secret tunnel! Yeah!_"

Toph was looking at him in disbelief. "That's it? No deadly curse?" She harrumphed. "Boring." The earthbender stood, cracking her back. "Well, I'm going to sleep. See you in the morning." She walked off.

Sokka suddenly loosed a yawn. "Toph's right, it's getting pretty late. And I don't want to hear any more of the Secret Tunnel song, alright?" He shook his head, but as he walked off, Katara could hear him humming it under his breath. She laughed.

After the entire group had dispersed, Zuko still sat by the fire, watching the embers die. He wasn't usually such a night owl, preferring to rise with the sun, but he was part of a team now; he couldn't very well just go to sleep as they all sat around and socialized.

He moved his hand idly, making the fire jump and dance. _Up and down, back and forth, repeat._ The flames swayed with such elegance and ease; he found himself envying their simplicity. Why couldn't he, with the flick of a wrist, stop his thoughts from churning and control their every move? When did his own mind turn against him? He wanted to focus on the easy things: train Aang, defeat his father, regain honor for both himself, and his nation. _Simple game plan. Not hard to follow._ But things were never that easy.

Distractions appeared, diverting his attention like a shiny object to a cat. _Like the shimmer of sunlight on water._ He shook his head, trying to jar the enemy thoughts into stunned silence. They persisted, in spite of his wishes; noisy little things, making a ruckus inside his head. They shouldn't have been there.

He wanted to think about firebending, training, the war. But he'd never been very good at blocking out his thoughts; they crept up on him, perhaps when he slept, or when he was talking to a friend, or at a time he'd least expect. It didn't matter. They'd slither up to his ear and whisper words so foreign, he nearly doubted they were of his own creation.

The flames were dancing before him, enchanting, but his mind was swimming with other things. Like the way the firelight had looked reflecting on Katara's face. Or how she'd blushed at Aang's mention of "the power of love" leading them from that tunnel. What the hell did that mean? And why had Katara seemed so squeamish?

Oh, there were those thoughts, unbidden, telling him things he didn't want to believe. He'd never seriously considered Aang and Katara together like _that_ (though Aang's crush on the girl was very obvious). _It's none of my business, anyway...I just don't see it._

Though maybe that had less to do with logic and more to do with the uneasy feeling unraveling in his stomach.

Near perfect darkness had settled over the temple during the night. Katara made her way through the halls in silence, enjoying the quiet peace. She'd gotten up to use the restroom, but in all honesty, she was having a tough time sleeping. Eyes squeezed shut, she laid in bed for who-knows-how-long, willing sleep to come, but it didn't work. She'd always been a night person anyways; something to do with the moon, she supposed.

Her little walk had calmed her, though, and she hoped that now she would actually fall asleep. Her bedroom was just down the hall; she took her time going down it, enjoying the simple beauty in the shafts of moonlight mingling with the dark shadows. She didn't notice the person in those shadows until she'd all but passed them.

"Having a hard time sleeping?"

"Toph?" She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing up?"

"Same as you, I guess. Going to the bathroom. But I could feel you coming closer, so I thought I'd stop and chat."

Katara eyed the earthbender warily. Tired-Toph wasn't exactly a social butterfly; hell, even wide-awake-Toph wasn't. Why would she want to chat?

"Nice night, huh?" Toph asked as she walked with Katara down the hall. "It's so quiet." She crinkled her nose. "Too bad I got that dumb song stuck in my head."

Katara laughed. "It is pretty catchy, isn't it?"

"It's _annoying_. I almost regret saving your butt, because that led to hearing it."

She stopped dead in her tracks. "What?"

"Oh come on," Toph said. "I thought I was pretty obvious, at least to you. I could tell you didn't want to answer the question."

"Who sad I didn't want to-"

"Your heartbeat was going a mile a minute. People's hearts normally only go that fast when they're fighting, excited, or scared. You kept dodging the question, so I settled on the latter." She crossed her arms and stared Katara down with unseeing eyes. "Whatever it is that you're hiding, it must be pretty interesting if you were that scared to tell it." She chuckled. "Then again, I have a pretty good guess at what it was."

Katara's cheeks colored once more. "It's nothing- We just- It's not like _that_…"

"Save it," Toph said. She was still grinning when they reached Katara's room. "Here you go, Sugar Queen. Home sweet home."

"Toph, I-"

"You owe me." With that, she walked off.

a/n: Merp. I did it. It took me _forever_, and it's still sucky, but I did it. I took the prompt kind of weirdly (Zuko's thoughts "talking" to him and the singing), but it was the best I could think of. Come on, you know you love the Secret Tunnel song! Anyways, yes, I am still doing the rest of Zutara week, I'm just super behind. I'll write when I can- the good news is, I have outlined all of the installments, which should help me get going. Ah well. See you next time!


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